Mint plant ‘Meadow Mint’

ABSTRACT

Mint selection 07-A3-11, denominated ‘Meadow Mint’, is a new  Mentha  sp. cultivar that produces an essential oil different in composition, produces more oil on a dry weight basis and has a branching pattern, large leaf size and resistance to mint rust ( Puccinia menthae ).

Latin name of the genus and species: Mentha sp.

Variety denomination: ‘MEADOW MINT’.

FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP

None

TYPE OF PLANT AND NAME OF VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety ofpeppermint plant developed from a parent of the species Mentha arvensis.The new variety will be identified as ‘Meadow Mint’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new mint was developed in a mint breeding program in which theprimary objective was to develop a Mitcham type peppermint varietyhaving a specific oil composition, acceptable yield and resistant tomint diseases. The new variety is as susceptible to mint wilt (soilborne fungus Verticillium dahliae) as its parent, but more resistant tomint rust (air-borne fungus Puccinia menthae). Selection 07-A3-11 has ahigher yield of oil than the control variety, ‘Black Mitcham’, in testplots since 2008. This plant was selected from a population of mintseedlings in research plots on land near Monmouth, Oreg. and initiallyidentified as 07-A3-11.

DISCOVERY AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Selection 07-A3-11 originated as a seedling from an open pollinated M.arvensis (06-Blanco-11) female parent included with male fertile M.piperita (polyploid ‘Black Mitcham’) plants in a polycross breedingprogram. Selection 06-Blanco-11 is a first generation seedling from‘Blanco’ (M. arvensis), a commercially grown variety for essential oilproduction. Diploid M. piperita is sterile and only becomes fertile inthe polyploidy state. The parent plants in the polycross breeding systemwere composed of selected fertile male and female genotypes based oncertain desirable characteristics.

Selection 07-A3-11 is asexually propagated to maintain the cultivar'sgenetic integrity and as a means of increasing the selection forcommercial planting. Asexual propagation, by tip cuttings or stolonsections, is a common practice in commercial mint cultivation and servesas a means of propagating the normally sterile mint plant. Under theinventor's direction, Premier Botanicals has conducted asexualpropagation of 07-A3-11 for greenhouse and field planting in Monmouth,Oreg., each year since 2007 and the genotype comes true to form witheach generation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Mint selection 07-A3-11, denominated ‘Meadow Mint’, is a new Mentha sp.cultivar that produces an essential oil different in composition thancommercially grown mint varieties. The essential oil is similar tostandard mint oil in components composition but differs in the typicalratio of components. Organoleptically it differs from typical M.piperita (‘Black Mitcham’) peppermint oil. It is more resistant to mintrust than current commercially grown M. arvensis varieties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs show typical, field grown vegetativegrowth of 07-A3-11 and depicts the color as nearly as reasonablypossible.

Photograph 1 illustrates the growth habit under field conditions of mynew mint plant.

Photograph 2 illustrates the leaf shape and color of my new mint plant.

DESCRIPTION OF PLANT

My new mint plant improves upon and is distinct from other mint plantsin several characteristics, including but not limited to, the following:

-   -   1. The ability to produce an essential oil different in        composition than typical commercial M. arvensis, (‘Shivalik’),        but with similar components as ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint (M.        piperita);    -   2. The ability to produce more oil on a dry weight basis than        currently grown mint varieties;    -   3. A more vigorous plant but with a branching pattern similar to        its parent;    -   4. A leaf larger than its parent, commercial M. arvensis        (‘Blanco’), and commercial M. piperita (‘Black Mitcham’);    -   5. A level of resistance to mint rust (Puccinia menthae) equal        to or greater than that of its M. arvensis female parent;

The essential oil extracted from 07-A3-11 has a composition ofcomponents more like that of commercial oil produced by commercial M.arvensis (‘Shivalik’) than that of M. piperita (‘Black Mitcham’) asillustrated in Table 1. However, the ratio of oil components in 07-A3-11is different from those of both M. arvensis and M. piperita. Theconcentration of menthone in oil of 07-A3-11 is greater than that of M.arvensis and M. piperita. There is only a trace of menthofuran presentin the oil of 07-A3-11 and absent in oil of its parent M. arvensis.There is a trace of menthyl acetate in the essential oil of 07-A3-11whereas, the component is present at 2.9% or greater in the parentseedling and commercial M. arvensis and M. piperita. Organoleptically,the oil of 07-A3-11 is different from that of Black Mitcham and M.arvensis, reflecting the difference in oil component ratios. Fragrancefrom the leaf is a pungent peppermint, lacking the strong menthol noteof ‘Shivalik’ but more pronounced than ‘Black Mitcham’.

TABLE 1 A Comparison of 07-A3-11 Essential Oil collected from test plotsnear Monmouth, Oregon, to that of its M. arvensis parent, Commercial M.arvensis, and Commercial M. piperita Oils. 1/ 06-Blanco-11 ‘Black Menthaarvensis ‘Shivalik’ Mitcham’ Essential Oil Parent 07-A3-11 CommercialCommercial Components seedling 2/ Seedling 2/ M. arvensis M. piperita1-Limonene 3.0 2.2 3.0 1.7 1,8-Cineole <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 4.9 1-Menthone15.7 28.4 7.3 19.4 Menthofuran 0.0 <1.0 0.0 4.2 Isomenthone 3.5 3.1 3.63.1 1-Menthyl 3.7 <1.0 2.9 5.3 Acetate 1-Menthol 64.3 59.1 73.9 44.6Pulegone <1.0 0.0 0.0 2.1 The numbers listed in the above table arepercentages based upon the analysis of the respective mint oils by gaschromatography. The percentages are determined by calculation of therelative peak areas. 1/ Commercial oils of M. arvensis (‘Shivalik’) andM. piperita (‘Black Mitcham’) were samples of what is typically producedby mint growers. 2/ The essential oil of M. arvensis parent seedling(06-Blanco-11) and 07-A3-11 were collected from plants growing in testplots in 2008.

TAXONOMIC DESCRIPTION OF 07-A3-11

This new plant, under greenhouse and field growing conditions, is anupright, bush type plant (Photograph 1) with lateral branches at eachnode of the main stem. It spreads from underground stolons. The heightof 07-A3-11 is greater than ‘Black Mitcham’, growing under similar fieldconditions, reaching an average height of 1.3 m, and will vary based onfertilizer, soil quality, water application, amongst other known factorsthat affect growth patterns. Isolated as a single plant the height is1.15 to 1.5 m with a width of 0.3 to 0.4 m. The main stem at mid-plant(approximately between the eleventh and twelfth node) of a mature plantis 4.5 mm-5.8 mm in width. The secondary and tertiary branch stems are2.0 mm-3.2 mm and 1 mm-2 mm respectively.

Mature leaves at the bottom of the plant are ovate lanceolate. Leaves onupper mature plants, both main and secondary stems are more lanceolate(Photograph 2). Leaves on the mid-main and lower stem tend to be dentatelike ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint leaves, while leaves on the upper partof the plant, tend to be more dentate than ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint.The serration of the main stem leaves have 14 to 16 teeth on each sideof the leaf, while those on secondary branches and on flowering tip maybe 7-10 teeth. Leaf dimensions at mid-plant (eleventh node) are 4.8 cmto 5.4 cm in width and 9.5 cm to 11 cm in length. Leaves on lateralbranches and upper part of plant are 4 cm-4.5 cm in width and 7 cm-8 cmin length. The leaf is green in color ranging from The Fifth EditionRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 137A to 137B in the Fan 3 GreenGroup classification. The leaf has 6 to 8 lateral veins, more or less inparallel off the main vein that runs from the petiole to the tip of theleaf. The veins are prominent in all leaves of 07-A3-11. The leafsurface of both the bottom and top of the leaf is sub-glabrose, with theveins on the bottom surface being slightly more hairy. Oil glands arescattered across the surface of the underside of the leaf. Seed producedby 07-A3-11 varies in color from brown (Fifth Edition RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 177A, Fan 4 Greyed-Orange Group) toblack (Fifth Edition Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 203B, Fan4 Black Group), are oval in shape, ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 mm in widthand from 0.6 to 0.8 mm in length.

The inflorescence is a conspicuous spike with capitates flowersdeveloping at the nodes of the spike stem. The cylindrical spikes areabout 30 mm in diameter and indeterminate in growth. The capitatesflowers are 15-20 mm in width and 10-15 mm in length. The flowersconsist of five petals fused into a two lipped corolla. The corolla iswhite in color as illustrated in The Fifth Edition Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart NN155C in the Fan 4 White Group. The calyx isgenerally yellow green and is 142A to 142B, in the Fan 3 Green Group, asillustrated in The Fifth Edition Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart index. The gynoecium consists of a single pistil with two lobedstigma that is exserted. The androecium consists of four stamens, eachwith a distinct filament and anther.

While the plant that comprises the present invention has been describedin connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understoodthat this application is intended to cover any variation, uses, oradaptation of the invention (particular those induced by cultivationunder different environmental conditions) following, in general, theprinciples of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the artto which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essentialfeatures hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of theinvention and the limits of the appended claim.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of mint plant, substantially asshown and described, characterized particularly by improved vigor, leafsize, and producing a unique essential oil.